Administratrix of



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet I. H. E. FOWLER, Decd.

A. N. FOWLER, Administratrix. PIPE BENDING- MACHINE.

No. 588,223. Patented Aug. 17,1897.

Inventor Attorney,

(No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. FOWLER, Deod. A. N. FOWLER, Administratrix. PIPE BENDING' MACHINE.No. 588,223. Patented Aug. 17,1897.

7f eA maww I Attorney g N-rTED STATES PATENT l1 rrrcn.

HERBERT E. FOWLER, DECEASED.

PlPE-BENDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 588,223, dated August17, 1897. 7 Application filed November 3,18%, Serial No. 610,936. (Nomodel.) I

To all whom) it may concern:

Be it known that HERBERT E. FOWLER, deceased, late a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Naugatuck, in the county of New '5 Haven andState of Connecticut, did invent certain new and useful Improvements inPipe- Bending Machines; and it is hereby declared that the following isa full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will en-IO able others skilled in the art to which it appertains to'make and usethe same.

The invention relates to machines forbend- 7 ing pipe, and has for itsobject to provide a machine of a simple and inexpensive character bymeans of which an empty or unfilled pipe of any length and of any givendiameter can be quickly and easily bent to a true circle or anyfractional part thereof or to an irregular circular form, as may bedesired, without injury to the material of which the pipe is composed.

To this end the invention consists in the pipe-bending machineconstructed and operating as hereinafter fully described, andpartioularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals designate like partsin the several views, Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying theinvention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, with one of theguide-rolls shown in cross-section and the traveling head broken off atits front end. Fig. 3 is a crosssection of the bending-roll, taken atline 00 so of Fig. 1, and an end View of the traveling 3 5 head and thestationary mandrel. Fig. 4 is a partial cross-section of thebending-roll and an end view of the traveling head, illustrating amodified form of said parts. Fig. 5 is a detached view of the stationarymandrel. Fig. 6 is a plan View of the bending-roll and the travelinghead when used for bending the 'pipe into an irregular circular form.Fig. 7 is a plan View of a portion of the form of travelinghea d shownin Fig. 4.

The numeral 1 designates the base or stand,

and 2 the circular table, of the machine, said table being provided atone side with the tangentially-projecting extension 3 and with thebed-plate 4, overlying a portion of said exten- 5o sion, said base,table, extension, and bed' plate being preferably cast integral witheach other.

' At the center of the circular table 2 is located a fixed stud 5, uponwhich is pivotally mounted the circular. head 6 of a lever 7, whichlever projects to a convenient distance beyond the edge of said tableand is preferably provided with a shoulder or offset 8 on its under sideadjacent to said edge, as shown. Said lever, which is tangential to itshead 6, as shown in Fig. 1, is thus rendered capable of movement aroundthe stud 5 as a center. The head 6 of said lever is provided with twoupwardly-projecting pins 9 9, located upon opposite sides of the stud 5,(see Figs. 1 and 3,) to receive the bending-roll 10, which roll has acentral hole to receive the stud 5 and two oppositely-located holes toreceive the pins 9, and is provided with a peripheral grooveill, of adiameter corresponding to that ofthe pipe to be bent. A look-nut 12,applied to the threaded upper end of stud 5, retains the roll 10 againstupward'movement while enabling the same to be removed and replaced 1 byothers of different sizes, as hereinafter described. The roll 10 thusmounted upon the lever 7 partakes of the movement of the latter in bothdirections.

Upon the upper side of lever 7, adjacent to its head 6, is mounted asliding block 13, against the outer end of which bears the end of ascrew 14, passing through a threaded hole in an upward projection 15 onthe lever, said screw being provided at its opposite end with a suitablehand-wheel, as shown, whereby it can be operated to force the blocktoward the bending-roll 10. If desired, a swivel connection between theinner end of said screw and the block can be made to cause the'former tomove the latter in both directions, but such construction is notregarded as being material, as the block can be readily moved in anoutward direction by hand when the screw is retracted. At its inner endthe block 13 is provided with a recess to receive a clampingjaw 16',(see Figs. 1 and 2,) which jaw has at its inner end a groove of the samediameter as the groove in the periphery of the bendingroll 10, as shownin Fig. 2. It follows from such construction of the bending-roll andsaid I00 clamping-jaw 1t that if the end of a pipe having a diametercorresponding to the diameter of the grooves in said parts be insertedbe tween them and the jaw be moved to its innermost position and lockedin such position by the screw 1% any movement of the lever 7 toward theleft will cause the jaw and roll to exert such a binding action upon thepipe as to cause the latter to partake of the movement of said partsabout the stud 5 as a center.

The numeral 17 designates a traveling head which rests upon thebed-plate and is free to slide longitudinally thereon, said head havingin its side adjacent to the bending-roll 10 and extending throughout itslength a groove the diameter of which corresponds to that of the groovein said roll 10, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Bearing against the oppositeor rear side of said head 17 are two guide-rolls 18 19, which aremounted upon the bed-plate in such manner as to be capable of adjustmenttoward and away from the plane of the axis of the bending'roll. Asherein shown, such adjustment of said guide-rolls is secured by providing the bedplate with two parallel T-slots 20, which receive the heads oftwo T-bolts 21, upon which are mounted sleeves 22, about which saidrolls revolve, and by applying lock-nuts 23 to the threaded upper end ofsaid bolts, which nuts bear against washers 24, resting upon saidsleeves. By loosening said lock-nuts the bolts 21 and rolls 18 19 can beadjusted to any point in the length of the slots 20 to adapt the machinefor bending pipe of various diameters.

I11 bending certain grades of pipe it is desirable that a core ormandrel be located within the same immediately to the rear of the pointat which the deflection begins, and for this purpose a short mandrel isemployed, having a diameter corresponding substantially with the innerdiameter of the pipe to be bent, which mandrel is detachably connectedto the end of a rod 26, said rod at its opposite end resting in one of aseries of open slots 27 in the upturned end of the extension 3 of thetable and having at its extreme end a head 2S,which, by bearing againstthe outer or rear face of said upturned end, prevents longitudinalmovement of the rod in a forward direction. As shown in Fig. 5, themandrel 25 has in its rear end a threaded socket to receive the threadedend of the rod 26, whereby it is rendered readily detachable to enablethe same rod to be used with mandrels of various diameters.

The rod 26 is of such length that when its head 28 bears against theouter face of the upturned end of table extension 3 and lever 7 standsin its normal position with the axis of the groove in jaw 16 inalinement with the axis of mandrel 25 the front end of said mandrel willproject to or beyond the rear end of the groove in said clamping-jaw.

In the use of the machine thus constructed the lever 7 is moved to itsnormal position, in

which the axis of the groove in the clampingjaw thereon is in alinementwith the axis of the groove in the traveling head 17, and the pipe 20,either with or without the interposed mandrel, is laid upon thebed-plate with its front end inserted between bending-roll 10 andclamping-jaw 16, the latter being held in contact with the periphery ofsaid roll by screw 14. Lever 7 is then moved toward the left, and, itspath of movement being the are of a circle, the bending-roll and jaw 16,which move with it, grasp the pipe and cause it to partake of saidmovement, thus producing the desired bend in the pipe. The travelinghead 17, being held in contact with the bending-roll by the guide-rolls18 19, moves with said roll, but in a rectilinear line, and in so doingaffords a firm support to the pipe at the point at which its deflectionbegins without exerting any drag thereon, while the statiom ary mandrel25, in case one is used, affords an interior support to the pipeimmediately adjacent to the same point. Such movement of the parts iscontinued until the bend in the pipe reaches the desired part of an.entire circle-for example, a quarter-bend, as shown in Figs. 1 and2-when the lever 7 is returned to its starting-point and the pipe iswithdrawn from the machine.

An adjustable stop 30 on the table, to limit the forward movement of thelever 7, enables any number of pipes to be bent to exactly the sameextent without the exercise of any particular care on the part of theoperator.

In case it is desired to bend the pipe into a plurality of coils, eachforming a complete circle, the handle 7 is moved around to its extremelimit, in which it is parallel with the extension 3 of the table, and isthen returned to its starting-point and again moved forward, gripping anew length of the pipe, and so on as long as may be desired.

13y reason of the fact that the jaw 16, bending-roll 10, and travelinghead 17 all move in unison with the pipe during the bending operationsuch operation is performed with but little effort on the part of theoperator and without injury to the pipe itself, regardless of thethickness of the metal composing the latter. Furthermore, the necessityof filling the pipe with comminuted material of any kind topreventcompression thereof is thus entirely obviated.

As hereinbefore stated, it is designed to use a series of bending-rolls10, jaws 16, and travcling heads 17 having grooves of various diameters,to enable the machine to bend pipe of any size, said parts being readilyinterchangeable on the machine, as hereinbefore described. It is alsodesigned to provide a series of mandrels of correspondin g sizes, to beinterchangeably secured to rod 26, the series of open slots 27 in tableextension 3 enabling said rod to be shifted transversely of the bedplateto correspond with the various sizes of mandrels. It will be understoodthat said rod 26 and the extension 3 of the table can be made of anydesired length, accordi-u to the length of the pipe which it is Idesired to bend on the machine.

4 In the form of the invention shown in Figs.

. 1, 2, and 3 the traveling head 17 receives its movement from thebending-roll by mere frictional contact with the periphery of thelatter, which construction amply suffices for the purpose in bending thesmaller sizes of pipe. For bending larger pipe it is sometimes desirableto have a more positive engagement of one of said parts with the other,

.and in Figs. 4 and 7 is illustrated one form of .is shown one form ofsuch means for bending irregular forms, in which the bendingroll has thedepressed portion 36 in its periphery, and the head 37 has acorresponding offset port-ion 38 in its grooved surface, Whereby a pipepassed between said parts will be bent to the form of the periphery ofsaid roll.

While the head 17 is herein shown as being adapted to movelongitudinally with the pipe as the latter is bent, it is possible tobend some grades of pipe successfully without movement of said head, anysimple means being employed for fastening it against movement during theoperation. It is therefore not desired to restrict the invention to theuse of a head which moves in all cases. I

Various other modifications in the detailsv of construction of themachine herein shown and described can be made within the spirit of theinvention. v

Having thus fullydescribed the invention, What is claimed, and desiredto belsecu red by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a pipe-bending machine, the combination with a revolubly-supportedbendingroll having its periphery grooved as described, of a leverconnected to said roll for operating the same, agrooved clamping-jawadjustably supported upon said lever and adapted to form, with thegrooved periphery of said roll, a round socket to receive the pipe to bebent, a table located adjacent to said roll, a head mounted upon saidtable tangentially to said bending-roll and having in the side thereof agroove corresponding to the groove in said roll, and means for adjustingsaid head upon said table toward and away from the plane of the axis ofsaid bending-roll, substantially as described.

2. In a pipe-bending machine, the'combination with aperipherally-grooved bendingroll, of. a lever rigidly connected to saidroll for operating the same, an adj ustable,grooved clamping-jaw on saidlever for clamping a pipe in'thepcripheral groove in said roll, atraveling head movable in a plane tangential to said .roll and having inits adjacent side a longitudinal groove corresponding to those in saidroll and jaw, and means for holding said head in contact with theperiphery of said roll, whereby-the revolving movement of the latterwill cause a rectilinear movement of the former, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a pipe-bending machine, the combination with a periperally-groovedbendingroll revoluble about a stationary pivot, of a lever rigidlyconnected to said roll and carrying an adjustable clamping-jaw the faceof which is grooved to correspond with the periphery of said roll, asimilarly-grooved trav-' cling head movable in a rectilinear plane whichis tangential to the periphery of said roll, and means fortransmittingmovement from said roll to said head, substantially as setforth.

4. In a pipe-bending machine, the combination with a groovedbending-roll, of a lever for turning the same about its axis, aclamping-jaw carried by said lever, a traveling head movable in a planetangential to said. roll, a mandrel located adjacent to the point ofcontact between said roll and said traveling head, and means for holdingsaid mandrel against movement, substantially as set forth.

5. In a pipe-bending machine, the combination with acircular table, of alever pivotally connected at one end to said table at the center of thelatter, a peripherally-grooved bending-roll detachably secured to saidlever and having its axis coincident with the pivot thereof, a groovedclamping-jaw detachably connected to said lever and adapted for movementtoward and away from the periphery of said roll, a grooved travelinghead movable I in a rectilinear plane, guide-rolls for holding said headin contact with the periphery of said bending-roll, and means foradjusting said guide-rolls to vary their distance from the axis of saidroll, substantially as set forth.

6. In a pipe-bending machine, the combination with a table, of a groovedbendingroll centrally mounted thereon, a lever connected to said rollfor turning it about its axis, a clamping-jaw carried by said lever, atraveling head actuated by said roll in a plane tangential to thelatter, a mandrel, a rod detachably connected at one end to saidmandrel, and means for engaging the opposite end of said rod to preventlongitudinal movement thereof, substantially as described.

7. In a pipe-bending machine, the combination with aperipherally-grooved bendingroll and means for turning the same aboutits axis and for clamping the end of apipe within the groove thereof, ofa traveling head movable in a rectilinear plane and having in the sidethereof adjacent to said bending-roll a longitudinal groovecorresponding to the groove in said roll, and means for holding saidhead in contact with said bending-roll to cause the latter to impartmovement to the former, substantially as described.

8. 'The combination with the grooved bendin g-roll 10, of lever 7rigidly connected therewith, sliding block 13 mounted upon said lever,screw 14E bearing against the outer end of said block, and grooved jaw16 detachably connected to the opposite end of said block, substantiallyas described.

9. The combination with bending-roll 10, lever 7, and clamping-jaw 16,of the traveling head 17, guide-rolls 18, 10, and means for adjustingsaid guide-rolls to vary their distance from the axis of saidbending-roll, substantially as described.

10. The combination with table 2 having the extension 3 provided withthe open slots 27, of the bending-roll 10,'lever 7, clampingjaw 16,traveling head 17, mandrel 25, and rod 26 detachably connected at oneend to said mandrel, said rod having its opposite end adapted to rest inone of the slots of said table extension and being provided at said endwith the head 28, substantially as and for the purpose described.

11. The combination with table 2, of the lever 7 having the head 6 whichis centrally pivoted upon said table, said head being provided with theupwardly-projecting pins 9, of the bending-roll 10 provided with holesto receive the pins on said lever, means, as the stud 5 and nut 12 forholding said roll downwardly upon said lever, grooved clampingjaw 16movably mounted upon said lever, and screw 14 also mounted upon saidlever, for

holding said jaw in engagement with the pcriphery of said roll,substantially as described.

12. The combination with table 2, bendingroll 10, lever 7, and itsclamping-jaw 16, of the bed-plate 4- provided with the parallel T- slots20, T-bolts 21 movable within said slots and carrying the guide-rolls18, 19, and the grooved traveling head 17 resting upon said bed-plateand engaging, at its grooved side, the periphery of said bending-rolland being engaged at its opposite side by said guiderolls, substantiallyas described.

13. In a pipe-bending machine, the combination with aperipherally-grooved bendingroll and a lever rigidly connected theretofor operating the same, said lever carrying an adjustable, groovedclamping-jaw, of a grooved traveling head movable in a plane tangentialto said roll and engaging the periphery of said roll, a mandrel locatedwithin the groove in said head and projecting to a point at or beyondthe rear end of the groove in said clamping-jaw, when said lever standsin its normal position, and means for holding said mandrel from movementlongitudinally, arranged and operating substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ADELIA N. FOWLER, Administratriao of the estate of Herbert E.

Fowler.

\Vitnesses:

LEILA M. HoLMEs, GEORGE E. HALL.

